Slanted Clamshell Container with Sauce Holder

ABSTRACT

A clamshell type container formed from a blank that includes upper and lower sections hingedly connected to one another along a common edge. A circular region defined by perforations is formed in the upper section, and is adapted to receive a cup therein. In its intended use, the cup would contain a dipping sauce that is complementary to the food product housed in the container.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/595,570, filed Jul. 15, 2005, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to disposable containers and more specifically to containers of the so-called clamshell type erectable from a flat blank to a three-dimensional structure having two, hingedly connected sections relatively movable between open and closed positions.

Many types of fast-food products are served to the consumer in disposable paperboard or plastic containers specifically designed for a particular product. A popular form of such containers is that known as clamshell wherein two sections are connected by an integral hinge for relative movement. While the plastic containers are often molded as an integral unit, e.g., of expanded polystyrene, the paperboard containers are typically formed from an initially flat blank, provided with cut and score lines and folded to a three-dimensional container held in place by glue tabs.

Some fast foods are sold with a small cup of liquid or semi-liquid sauce wherein the food product may be dipped as it is eaten. Although the cup may be positioned on a tray or counter-top when the food is consumed on the premises where it is obtained, fast food is often taken from the premises and consumed in a location having no convenient means for holding the cup of sauce, sometimes resulting in the cup being overturned or tipped with sauce spilling into the food container or into less convenient locations.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a disposable container of the clamshell type having novel and improved means for holding a small cup, the purpose of which is to hold a liquid or semi-liquid sauce intended to be eaten with a food product served in the container.

Another object is to provide a paperboard blank formed with cut and fold lines adapting the blank for erection to an enclosed container having a unique and advantageous design.

A further object is to provide a disposable, fast food container having two sections connected by an integral hinge for movement between open and closed positions with a shape, when in the closed position, which enhances the ability of the container to accommodate and support a small cup complementary to the food product served in the container.

Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In furtherance of the foregoing objects, the container of the invention is initially in the form of a blank of sheet material, preferably a suitable weight paperboard, cut to a predetermined outline and provided with cut and fold lines in appropriate locations for erection to the final size and shape of the container. Generally, the blank is divided by a transverse fold line or perforated line into two sections. When fully erected, this fold or perforated line forms an integral hinge for relative movement of the two sections, termed upper and lower sections, between open and closed positions. Each section is provided with two pairs of essentially triangular glue tabs, each tab having one side forming a portion of the blank periphery, a second side formed by a cut line and a third side formed by a perforated fold line. Each section also includes a single glue tab at the end opposite the hinge; that is, the single glue tabs are formed at opposite ends of the blank, but will be directly adjacent one another when the container is fully erected and in the closed position. A single side panel of each section is formed by a fold line extending between cut lines forming one side of a glue tab at each end. One end panel of each section is formed by a transverse fold line extending parallel to the hinge line between opposite ends at a common junction with the glue tab cut lines and the side panel fold lines. At the opposite end, each section has a pair of end panels having one edge forming a portion of the periphery of the blank and fold or cut lines along three other edges.

Fold lines of the side and end panels form a peripheral boundary defining a five-sided center panel in each section. The center panels of the upper and lower sections are termed top and bottom panels, respectively, in the erected condition of the container. The top panel is provided with a circular, breakaway panel defined by a perforated line. An arcuate portion of the breakaway panel, including a portion of its periphery, is cut and removed from the original blank to facilitate manual removal of the entire breakaway panel, thereby forming a circular opening in the top panel when a small cup is to be inserted therein for previously described reasons. A pair of locking tabs are formed in the periphery of each of the end panels opposite the hinged end in both the upper and lower sections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the blank of sheet material;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are side and front elevational views, respectively, of the container erected from the blank of FIG. 1 shown in the closed position;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of the container, shown in the closed position; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the container in the open position showing the interior side thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, in FIG. 1 is shown a blank 10 cut from a sheet of material such as paperboard, appropriate for forming a container for the intended use. Blank 10 is divided by fold line 12 into two sections 14 and 16, termed for convenience upper and lower sections, respectively. Fold line 18 in section 14 and fold line 20 in section 16 are parallel to one another and to fold line 12. Fold lines 22, 22′ extend between the opposite ends of fold lines 12 and 18, and fold lines 24, 24′ extend between opposite ends of fold lines 12 and 20. Fold lines 12, 18, 22 and 22′ form the periphery of first end panel 26, and fold lines 12, 20, 24 and 24′ form the periphery of second end panel 28. A first pair of glue tabs 30, 30′, at opposite ends of end panel 26, are separated from the end panel by fold lines 22, 22′, and from respective side panels 32, 32′ by cut lines 34, 34′, respectively. It will be understood that the term fold line, as used herein, may refer to a continuous score line separating adjacent panels of the blank or container, or to a line of perforated or intermittently cut and scored portions, i.e., to any means of providing a line along which two adjacent panels are to be folded, whereas the term cut line refers to a line along which the material is severed between adjacent portions of the blank.

Side panels 32, 32′ are separated from a central panel, termed top panel 36 by fold lines 38, 38′, respectively. A pair of end panels 40, 40′ are separated from top panel 36 by fold lines 42, 42′, respectively. Thus, top panel 36 is bounded by fold lines 18, 38, 38′, 42 and 42′. Circular portion 44 is formed in top panel 36 by perforated line 46 with an arcuate portion bounded by cut line 48 of circular portion 44 and cut line 50 of line 46 being removed. A second pair of glue tabs 52, 52′ of upper section 14 are separated from side panels 32, 32′ by cut lines 54, 54′, respectively, and from end panels 40, 40′ by fold lines 56, 56′, respectively. A single glue tab 58 is separated from end panel 40 by cut line 60 and from end panel 40′ by fold line 62. Portions of end panels 40 and 40′ forming sections of the outer periphery of blank section 14 are cut to form hooks 64, 64′ for purposes described later.

A first pair of glue tabs 66, 66′ of lower section 16 are separated from end panel 28 by fold lines 24, 24′, respectively, and from side panels 68, 68′ by cut lines 70, 70′. A second pair of lower section glue tabs 72, 72′ are separated from side panels 68, 68′ by cut lines 74, 74′. Glue tabs 72, 72′ are separated from end panels 76, 76′ by fold lines 78, 78′. End panels 76, 76′ are separated from the central portion of lower section 16, termed bottom panel 80, by fold lines 82, 82′. Side panels 68, 68′ are separated from bottom panel 80 by fold lines 84, 84′, respectively. Thus, bottom panel 80 is bounded by fold lines 20, 82, 82′ 84 and 84′. A single glue tab 86 is separated from end panel 76 by fold line 88 and from end panel 76′ by fold line 90. A pair of hooked portions 92, 92′ are formed in the outer peripheries of end panels 76, 76′ for purposes described later.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 5, container 94 has been formed from blank 10 in the usual manner of folding adjacent panels along the fold lines provided and adhesively connecting surfaces of glue tabs to surfaces of other panels with which they have been brought into opposition in the folding operation. Upper and lower sections 14 and 16 are connected by an integral hinge formed by fold line 12 for relative movement between the closed position shown, and an open position in the usual manner of clamshell containers. It will be noted that side panels 32 and 68 of upper and lower section 14 and 16, respectively, (and, of course, side panels 32′ and 68′ on the opposite side) increase in width from the rear (hinged) to the forward end of the container, thereby providing a slanted clamshell configuration with a greater height at the front than at the rear. As seen in the front view of FIG. 3, hooks 64 and 64′ of upper section 14 engage hooks 92, 92′, respectively, of lower section 16 to maintain the sections in mutual engagement until manually pulled apart at the front end. As also best seen in FIG. 3, the outer, free edges of side panels 32 and 32′ of upper section 14 overlap the outer edges of side panels 68 and 68′, respectively, and the free edges of end panel 76 of lower section 16 overlap the free edges of end panel 40 of upper section 14, except in the region of hooks 64, 64′ and 92, 92′.

In the side view of FIG. 2, cup 96 is positioned above container 94. Cup 96 tapers outwardly from bottom to top having a diameter D1, smaller than diameter D of circular portion 44 of top panel 36 of upper section 14, at its lower end and a diameter D2, larger than D, at its upper end. Thus, after removing circular portion 44 of top panel 36, the lower end of cup 96 may be inserted into opening 98 (FIG. 4) where the outer side surface of cup 96 will engage the circular edge of the opening and hold the cup securely in place. This provides a simple and convenient means of providing a cup of dipping sauce, or the like, in conjunction with a food product which is served in the container.

The interior of the erected container is shown in FIG. 6. By folding along fold lines 18 and 20, end panels 26 and 28 are moved relative to top and bottom panels 36 and 80, thereby bringing surfaces of glue tabs 30, 30′ and of upper section 14 and glue tabs 66, 66′ of lower section 16 into opposing contact with portions of side panels 32, 32′ of the upper section and side panels 68, 68′ of the lower section. A suitable adhesive is applied to maintain the opposing surfaces permanently in this position. By folding along fold lines 42 and 42′ of front section 14, surfaces of glue tabs 52, 52′ are brought into opposing contact with portions of side panels 32 and 32′ and maintained in this position by application of adhesive. Likewise, glue tabs 72, 72′ of rear section 16 are brought into opposing contact with portions of side panels 68, 68′ and secured with adhesive. By the folding along fold lines 42 and 42′, glue tab 58 is brought into contact with end panel 40 and the two opposing surfaces are secured with adhesive. Folding along lines 82, 82′ brings glue tab 86 into contact with end panel 76′ of lower section 16 and the opposing surfaces are maintained in contact with adhesive. Container 94 is then fully erected and ready for use. If no sauce cup is provided with an order, circular portion 44 is left in place on top panel 36; if a sauce cup is provided, the server breaks circular portion 44 free from top panel 36 along perforated line 46 to provide an opening to hold the cup and sauce in secure relation to container 94, the latter being in the form of a two-section clamshell tapering outwardly to a larger capacity from the rear (hinged) end to the opposite (front) end. 

1. A clamshell container adapted for containing a product and a cup, comprising: a. a lower section having a first planar surface that extends in a first plane; b. an upper section having a second planar surface that extends in a second plane, said upper section positioned in movable relation to said lower section between open and closed positions, and c. wherein said second planar surface includes a defined, cup-receiving portion thereof adapted to receive the cup therein.
 2. The clamshell container of claim 1, wherein said defined, cup-receiving portion is defined by perforations.
 3. The clamshell container of claim 2, wherein said defined, cup-receiving portion is essentially circular in shape.
 4. The clamshell container of claim 3, wherein the cup is of a first, maximum predetermined diameter, a second, minimum predetermined diameter, and said defined, cup-receiving portion is of a third, predetermined diameter less than said first, predetermined diameter and greater than said second predetermined diameter.
 5. The clamshell container of claim 1, wherein said lower and upper sections are integrally joined to one another along a common edge about which said upper and lower sections pivot relative to one another.
 6. The clamshell container of claim 1, wherein said first and second planes are not parallel to one another.
 7. The clamshell container of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sidewalls extending between said upper and lower surfaces.
 8. The clamshell container of claim 7, wherein said clamshell container is pentagonal in shape.
 9. A blank able to be formed into a three-dimensional clamshell container adapted to contain a product and a cup therein, said blank comprising: a. a first section having a first major surface; b. a second section joined to said first section along a common edge and having a second, major surface; and c. a defined, cup-receiving portion formed in said second, major surface.
 10. The blank according to claim 9, wherein said defined, cup-receiving portion is defined by perforations.
 11. The blank of claim 10, wherein said defined, cup-receiving portion is essentially circular in shape.
 12. The blank of claim 11, wherein the cup is of a first, maximum predetermined diameter, a second, minimum predetermined diameter, and said defined, cup-receiving portion is of a third, predetermined diameter less than said first, predetermined diameter and greater than said second predetermined diameter. 